Wednesday, June 19, 2013

In a July 13, 1865 editorial in the New York Tribune famous American newspaper writer Horace Greely proclaimed:

Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country.

Sometime this August, my wife Katy and I will be doing just that. We are relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah. She is taking a new position at her employer's headquarters. For her, this presents a wonderful opportunity to advance with a growing company and get off of the road. She travels a lot for her job now. For me, the move to Salt Lake City provides me with a new and interesting opportunities.

Despite the excitement, this announcement is bittersweet. The move takes me further away from IRM and my many friends there, especially Frank, Randall and Al. I still, however, intend on visiting a couple of times a year.

Much like how I found the Museum of Transportation and IRM when I moved to St. Louis from Kentucky in 2004, I am sure I will find an aspect of railway preservation to be involved with in Utah. There are several good options, including the Nevada Northern Railway and Golden Spike National Historic Site.

Of course, I will still post here as often as I can. Other than this coming weekend, I will not have another chance to visit before the move. My main focus is to figure out how to get all of our stuff from St. Louis to Salt Lake City. After the movers have packed us and loaded us, we will drive west, along I-80 and the Overland Route. We will pass through the plains of Nebraska, the mountains of Wyoming and down into the Great Salt Lake valley. It will be faster than the wagon trains or even the original Transcontinental Railroad. However, the journey will be just as exciting for us. Wish us luck on our new adventure.

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About This Site

The "Hicks Locomotive and Car Works" banner at the top is taken from original artwork of the company, which was in business from 1897 to 1911. The picture behind it shows the four restored CA&E wood cars at the Museum, starting with #309, which was built by the Hicks Locomotive and Car Works in 1907.

This is not an official website for the Illinois Railway Museum. It represents only the personal views of the authors.

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